By Jomo Paul

General Secretary of the PPP, Clement Rohee

[www.inewsguyana.com] – The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is wasting no time in condemning the move by the APNU+AFC Administration to increase the salaries of Government Ministers and Vice Presidents by as much as 50%.

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee, at an emergency press conference on Wednesday, described the decision taken by the government as “insensitive.”

This comes after Minister of State Joseph Harmon had defended the increases; saying that it was “deserving.”

According to Harmon, “we (the government) have to pay people well if we want them to perform. I am not going to say that I make any apologies whatsoever for Ministers getting increase in salaries, they deserve it.”

However, Rohee said that unless Harmon could provide some amount of empirical evidence to support his statement, the claim is null and void.

“Where are the studies to show that higher salaries make better politicians,” he questioned.

Further, Rohee stated the increase is “unconscionable” given that the new government is merely four months old.

“How can four month old Ministerial neophytes be entitled and qualified for such fat pay checks,” he stated adding “ he (Harmon) and his cabinet colleagues will have to take the blows from an infuriated and offended Guyanese public.”

He made it clear that the government should rescind the order given by Finance Minister Winston Jordan on September 23 – declaring the increases.

According to Rohee, the PPP has not made any decision whether or not they will be accepting or rejecting the